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ThriveTrail, Howell Motorway Suite 909 McKenzieville, WI 78315, New York, NY (2025)

10/26/2023

Nadine Dirks shares her experience of avoidant restrictive eating food disorder in relation to attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.

10/26/2023

Erica Diebold tells the story of her relationship with chronic migraine.

10/26/2023

Caring for a parent who has bipolar disorder: How I learned to prioritize my own mental health
I have always known deep down that my mother has a serious mental illness. But I only found out about 15 years ago that my mother had been diagnosed with bipolar disorder.

Medically reviewed by Janet Brito, Ph.D., LCSW, CST — By Stephanie Smith on August 17, 2022
In our Through My Eyes series, we provide a platform for people to share how a particular medical condition has affected their life. By shining a spotlight on the physical and emotional, this series aims to raise awareness while providing practical advice and support to any readers who may be experiencing something similar.
Design by Medical News Today; photograph by lechatnoir/Getty Images
I did not know much about bipolar disorder at the time, but it was easy for me to accept that she had a serious mental illness that had been undiagnosed until then. Throughout my childhood, I remember witnessing my mother’s extreme depressive episodes and periods of mania.

During depressive episodes, I would see her crying into a bath towel. She had scars on her wrists from a su***de attempt in high school. When I was little, she told me they were from flea bites.

When she was manic, my mom would insist we move. When I was a teenager, we made the move from a comfortable house in the suburbs to a developing country.

Becoming my mom’s primary caregiver
While abroad, my mother started to have trouble with her physical health. She became bedridden and needed help with most tasks. My father was around, but he coped by becoming very detached.

I was a teen at the time, and I became her primary caregiver for most of the next 4 years. I took over day-to-day responsibilities, including cooking for the family and helping my mother get dressed and use the bathroom.

I endured the responsibility of caring for my family until I went to college.

At this point, it started to become clear to medical professionals that my mother had a mental health condition. They just were not clear on the exact diagnosis. During one inpatient stay, a doctor who suspected dissociative identity disorder told my mother she had reintegrated her personalities on her own. But eventually, the diagnosis of bipolar disorder came about.

Navigating parenting and caregiving
After college, I moved, and there was physical distance between myself and my parents for a while. However, within the last decade, my parents moved nearby, and I started taking on more caregiving responsibilities again.

Shortly after my parents moved, I lost my job. Even though I was also caring for my own children, I had a little more time on my hands. So, at this point, I became more heavily involved in caring for my mother.

I did my best to be a dutiful caregiver. Around this time, my mother needed several surgeries. She required months of IV antibiotics that I learned to administer.

But my mother constantly pointed out all of my shortcomings. My parents began to undermine my ability to parent my children. They constantly compared me with my sister, which seriously damaged my relationship with my sister, as well. This was when caregiving really started taking a toll on my mental health.

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By Britt Gambino
Through My Eyes: Stem cell donation
By James McIntosh
Through My Eyes: ADHD and avoidant restrictive eating
By Nadine Dirks
Setting and reinforcing boundaries to preserve my mental health
I started feeling burned out, unappreciated, and frustrated as my mother kept undermining my parenting decisions. I set boundaries and tried my best to reinforce them with my mother. I was hoping that would help preserve our relationship, my relationship with my own children, and my own mental health.

But my mother continued to disrespect these boundaries. After serious thought, I ended up cutting ties with both of my parents.

I wanted to help care for my mom. I wanted to be close to my parents. They are lovely people in so many ways. But my mom crossed such a big line in actively undermining my parenting decisions, which affected my relationship with my children. And that was the last straw for me.

Today, I still do not have contact with my mother. Even years later, thinking about it all still feels painful and shameful.

It is hard to share my story, but if even one person reads this and finds it helpful, I feel it was worth it.

THROUGH MY EYES
You’re not alone
According to the National Alliance for Caregiving and AARP Public Policy Institute, 2 in 10 caregivers feel alone in their caregiving journey. Educating yourself about preventing caregiver burnout and connecting with others who understand what you are going through can help you prioritize your own mental health and feel less alone.

Try joining a support group or searching for other areas of support through organizations, such as:

Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance
National Alliance on Mental Illness
National Institute on AgingTrusted Source
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services
Eldercare locator

10/26/2023

Through My Eyes: Stem cell donation
After being on a list of potential donors for 12 years or so, this past month saw me finally have the opportunity to give away some of my stem cells. The opportunity to experience first-hand a procedure I have read, written, and edited articles on at Medical News Today.

By James McIntosh on October 12, 2022
In our Through My Eyes series, we provide a platform for people to share how a particular medical condition has affected their life. By shining a spotlight on the physical and emotional, this series aims to raise awareness while providing practical advice and support to any readers who may be experiencing something similar.
Design by Medical News Today; photograph courtesy James McIntosh.
On paper, stem cell donation can sound a bit intimidating.

While donating blood may be easy to visualize, stem cells feel more abstract. The name conjures images of microscopes, laboratories, and horribly invasive procedures.

I am happy to report that there was nothing horrible about my experience at all! And while it was not exactly a walk in the park — more a run in a wood — it is something that I would encourage folks to consider if they are able to do so.

Joining the register
I can’t remember exactly when it was that I signed up on the stem cell register but 12 years ago feels about right.

At the time, I was working at a local hospital booking day surgery appointments for people. One day, some people from the charity came in to try and sign National Health Service employees and medical students up. It seemed like the thing to do at the time, and so my name was added to the register, joining over 800,000 others.

The charity in question was the British organization Anthony Nolan. They work to provide stem cells and bone marrow donations to patients with forms of blood cancer or blood disorders. The charity also supports research into new treatments for other conditions.

Why are stem cells so important?
To call stem cells “useful” would be doing them a disservice.

Stem cells are cells that do not yet have a specific role within the body. When they divide, they have the potential to develop into cells with a specific function. This process is known as differentiation. Each of the many different specialized cells of the adult human body were stem cells, to begin with.

Doctors and scientists can use stem cells to help treat certain conditions. Skin stem cells can aid with tissue regeneration to treat skin damage, and blood stem cells can form a crucial part of treatment for blood diseases such as leukemia.

Not only that, but researchers can also use stem cells in studies to either find out the causes of certain diseases or to develop new drug treatments for conditions.

Screening and preparation
A few months ago, I received a phone call asking if I would be interested in donating some cells to be used in a study.

With my consent given over the phone, it was time for me to move into uncharted territory.

The possibility of donating stem cells had always just been that: a possibility, a thought, an idea.

Certainly nothing as concrete or tangible as a trip up from Brighton to London for a health check.

Clinical staff provided more detailed information about what was coming so that I could provide written consent. Questions were asked to assess my likelihood of carrying any bloodborne diseases. Blood and urine samples were taken, my body mass index (BMI) was measured, and a COVID-19 test was carried out.

A common experience for people who work with health information articles is to feel as though you are developing whatever condition you have most recently written about. This can be useful from time to time.

I had an irregular-looking mole removed after working on a melanoma article, for instance. However, it can also leave you fearing the worst when all you have done is perhaps eaten too much beetroot.

This neuroticism made waiting for my health check results a slightly nervous affair. Thankfully, I was happy to discover that everything was okay. My fears of gross malnourishment due to a disorganized vegan diet proved to be completely unfounded.

I was on to the next stage of my donation journey. The hospital was ready and prepared to have me in to donate my stem cells. I now needed to prepare my body for the process.

Learning a new skill: G-CSF injections
From here on out, there will be quite a bit about injections and needles! If you want to avoid this and skip to the end, you can click on this link.

To improve the chances of collecting a good amount of stem cells, donors take a series of injections in the days running up to the collection date. The injections contain a protein called granulocyte colony stimulating factor (G-CSF), which helps boost levels of stem cells in the bloodstream.

I had never injected anything before. I am typically quite happy to receive injections — my COVID-19 vaccinations were wonderful — but being the person to push down on the syringe was quite a daunting prospect.

Thankfully a nurse walked me through the first day of injecting. They explained that I would need to inject two separate doses of G-CSF into either my thigh or belly once a day for 4 days, alternating between the two areas so as not to cause them to ache too much.

The process involved pinching flesh from the thigh or belly and injecting into that. When I was able to grab a good chunk, pushing down with the needle was a fairly simple task. At these times I could barely perceive it piercing my skin.

Once I had fully depressed the syringe, there was a click. Releasing my grip at this point would cause the needle to automatically retract, ready for disposal in the sharps bin the nurse had provided. All that was left was for me to do this one more time and that would be my injecting for the day.

I soon grew used to this new addition to my lunchtime routine. Stop work. Inject myself twice. Have a sandwich. Do some laundry. Return to work.

The only adverse effects were some slight body aches, particularly in my lower back, and a general feeling of being run down. These are typical for G-CSF injections.

Collecting stem cells and Pokémon
I reported to the hospital and was admitted to the apheresis unit at 2 p.m. for the “harvesting” of my stem cells. This term made it sound as though the procedure was going to be a brutal process straight out of a dystopian science fiction story. This was not the case!

After being assigned a bed and doing some preliminary checks, a nurse began to set things up.

All the heavy lifting was going to be done by a cell-separating machine. The nurse inserted a needle into a vein in my left arm from which my blood was drawn into the machine. The machine then separated the blood into its separate components: red blood cells, white blood cells, plasma, and platelets.

Once the blood was separated, the parts containing my precious stem cells were taken away, leaving the rest of the blood to return to me. The nurse inserted another needle into a vein in my right arm, and the blood was able to rejoin my bloodstream here from the machine.

After this had been set up, all that was left to do was wait while the machine did its thing with my blood. My left arm had to remain stationary, although I was permitted to squeeze a stress ball to aid circulation.

My right arm was free, however, to play Pokémon on my phone, turn the pages of my book, or struggle with eating the soup and rice pudding that came with my lunch.

From time to time, I would look over at the machine. I could see the tubes carrying blood into this strange device with its turning wheels and rhythmic humming. It really was like something out of a science fiction story, only tempered with the mundanity of waiting in a queue at the post office to send a parcel.

Overall, there was nowhere near the level of discomfort that the name “harvesting” had suggested. The sites on my arms where the needles went in were a bit sore and provided a dull ache throughout the procedure. My left forearm also felt as though I had been sitting on it at certain times, but a few squeezes of the stress ball soon sorted this out.

The other main side effect I experienced was a tingling sensation around my mouth. This is a fairly typical symptom of the blood thinner that the machine uses during the process to prevent the blood from clotting.

When this occurred, the nurse provided me with a calcium tablet, and within a few minutes, the symptom was gone.

I lay on the bed hooked up to the machine for 2 and a half hours in total. During that time, I caught many Pokémon, made great progress reading my book, and just about managed to eat my lunch without making too much of a mess.

The ache in my arms was a constant presence, but overshadowed significantly by how difficult it was to transport soup from a bowl to my mouth.

Heading home
At 5 p.m., the nurse was ready to discharge me. The needles were removed from my arms and a bag full of my stem cells was labeled and packed up, ready to go off to a laboratory.

The nurse advised me to drink plenty of water and to take things easy for the next few days. I felt tired, a little short of energy or enthusiasm for anything, but otherwise could feel no ill effects of my afternoon in the hospital.

It is typical for people to experience bone aches for a few days after the procedure, along with tiredness. This was the same for me, too.

I was fine to return to work as normal the following day, and the only adjustment I made to my routine was to skip playing soccer for a week.

The doctor who had seen me for my health check had explained that my spleen would have shrunk during the procedure, and avoiding contact sports would allow it time to return to its usual size without harm. This may have been the first time in my life I have actively considered my spleen’s well-being.

The following week, with spleen presumably back to its original size, I was happy to return to all of my usual pastimes!

A straightforward process, would recommend
Whenever I told someone I was going to be donating stem cells, quite a few people seemed impressed. Their reactions suggested that the whole process would be a great ordeal with significant levels of discomfort.

Thankfully, donating the stem cells was an effortless process, and my experience is one that has been shared by many others. Several testimonies are available to read on the Anthony Nolan website, and all echo the sentiment that the process is largely straightforward and not too painful.

Stem cells are a vital part of treatment for several serious conditions while also showing a lot of potential in the development of new therapies for currently untreatable diseases. As a result, it is very important for there to be people willing to donate their stem cells. Many will be able to save lives by joining a donation register.

My hope is that this article makes stem cell donation seem less scary and more accessible. I would certainly recommend that folks consider it if they are able to. And if you are lucky enough to be asked to donate, get some practice eating with one arm beforehand.

10/24/2023

What is an echocardiogram?
Echocardiography uses ultrasound waves to create a picture of the heart, called an echocardiogram (echo).

It is a noninvasive medical procedure that produces no radiation and does not typically cause side effects.

During an echocardiogram, a doctor can see:

the size and thickness of the chambers
how the valves of the heart are functioning
the direction of blood flow through the heart
any blood clots in the heart
areas of damaged or weak cardiac muscle tissue
problems affecting the pericardium, which is the fluid-filled sac around the heart
causes of a stroke
Doctors also use echocardiography when they want to examine a person’s general heart health, especially after a heart attack or stroke.

How is it done?
Echocardiograms are noninvasive and relatively quick procedures that require minimal preparation.

Below, we discuss what to expect before, during, and after an echocardiogram.

Preparation
In cases where a healthcare professional takes the echocardiogram from the outside of the body, the person will not need to prepare.

For people who get a transesophageal echocardiogram, a doctor will recommendTrusted Source avoiding eating or drinking anything for at least 6 hours before the exam. People can resume eating and drinking about 1–2 hours after the echocardiogram once the local anesthetic has worn off.

During the test
A sonographer will perform the transthoracic (external) echocardiogram. Sonographers are healthcare professionals who specialize in using ultrasound devices to produce images and videos for diagnostic purposes.

During the test, the person receiving the echocardiogram will remove their clothes from the waist up. They can wear a hospital gown if they wish to cover themselves during the exam.

The sonographer will then instruct the person to lie on a table, on either their back or their left side. They may inject a saline solution or dye into the person’s veins, which makes the heart appear more defined on the echocardiogram.

The exact procedure depends on the type of echocardiogram. For instance:

Transthoracic echocardiogram
If a doctor ordered a transthoracic echocardiogram, the sonographer will apply a gel to the chest. The sonographer will then move the transducer around the chest to get different images of the heart.

During the exam, the sonographer may ask someone to change positions or take or hold a deep breath. They might press the transducer into the chest to get a better picture of the heart.

Transesophageal echocardiogram
A doctor might order a transesophageal echocardiogram if they want more detailed or clearer images of the heart than those that a transthoracic echocardiogram can produce.

During a transesophageal echocardiogram, the person may receive a mild sedative to help relax the muscles in their throat, and a local anesthetic to numb the gag reflex.

Once the sedative and local anesthetic take effect, a doctor will guide a small transducer on the end of a long tube down the throat and esophagus until it reaches the back of the heart.

The sonographer will record images of the heart as the doctor moves the transducer around the esophagus. The person should not feel the transducer or the tube in their esophagus after initially swallowing the probe.

After the test
Most people can return to their regular activities after having a transthoracic echocardiogram.

People who have a transesophageal echocardiogram may need to stay at the hospital or healthcare clinic for a few hours after the exam. They may have a sore throat initially, but it should improve within a few hours to a day.

Individuals who received a sedative before the exam should not drive for several hours after the echocardiogram.

What does it diagnose?
Doctors can use echocardiograms to see the size, structure, and activity of various parts of the heart.

They do this to diagnose heart problems, determine the need for more tests, decide on their next actions, and monitor changes and improvements.

More specifically, doctors may use this procedure to check for signs or symptoms that may be indicative of:

Heart attack: the test can check for impaired blood supply in heart muscle tissue, wall abnormalities, and blood flow, which can indicate a heart attack.
Blood clots (thrombus) or tumors: A 2021 study found that echo can be an alternative to cardiac magnetic resonance in detecting thrombosis. A 2020 study also saw it as an essential noninvasive tool in checking for cardiac masses such as tumors.
Atherosclerosis and coronary artery disease (CAD): While an echo cannot show blockages in arteries, narrowing and clogged arteries can affect the heart’s pumping ability and wall motion. This is more evident during stress, making a stress echo a good diagnostic test.
Aortic aneurysm and aortic dissection: An echo can screenTrusted Source for wide, weakened aorta, unruptured aneurysms, and their size, as well as the formation of fibrosis and thrombus in the vessel.
Cardiomyopathy: The test can see the size and function of the heart and correlate it with wall thickness, weak heart muscle, leaky heart valves, heart failure, or high blood pressure.
Pulmonary hypertension: The test can assessTrusted Source the pressure in the heart, which can indicate the presence of pulmonary hypertension, helping doctors to determine the next diagnostic steps.
Congenital heart disease: The test can identify congenital heart abnormalities in infants and young children, such as septal defects and holes.
Heart valve disease: The test looks for abnormalities in heart blood flow, leakage, narrowing, infection, and blockage in heart valves.
Problems with the pericardium: The test can check the status of the sac surrounding the heart (pericardium) for inflammation (pericarditis) or becoming filled with fluid or blood (pericardial effusion).
Heart failure: It can detect weak or stiff and thickened heart muscle, which can be a sign of heart failure.
Doctors also often use the test to assess the reasons for an abnormal electrical test of the heart, called an electrocardiogram (EKG).

They also use the procedure to monitor how well the heart responds to different heart treatments, such as heart failure, medications, artificial valves, and pacemakers.

A doctor will order an echocardiogram if they suspect that someone has heart problems. Signs and symptoms that may indicate a heart condition include:

10/24/2023

What are reflexes in the human body and their purpose?
Maskot/Getty Images
Reflexes are the body’s involuntary responses to different stimuli. They happen without consciously thinking about them.

Reflexes protect the body from danger or harm and help maintain homeostasis, which is a steady internal environment.

How do reflexes work?
Generally, reflexes work through a reflex arc. A reflex arc is the line of communication within the body that prompts a reflex response. The arc uses sensory nerves (to detect harmful stimuli) and motor nerves (to activate the muscle). It works to produce fast responses.

Healthcare professionals know how to assess reflexes. An overactive, weak, or absent reflex may indicate a medical condition worthy of attention.

Reflexes can occur at two different levels.

One involves the somatic nervous system. Somatic reflexes deal with muscles, skin, and movements that people are usually aware of. For example, touching a hot pan and quickly jerking away is a somatic reflex.

The other level involves the autonomic nervous system and is coordinated by certain parts of the brain. Autonomic reflexes deal with organs and internal processes such as digestion and blood flow that people are less aware of.

An example is the gastrocolic reflex, where the stomach filling up after a meal can stimulate an autonomic motility reflex within the large intestine, causing the urge to use the bathroom.

Different types of reflexes involve different pathways and processes in the body.

Examples of reflexes
Several types of reflexes exist. They can include the following:

Stretch or deep tendon reflex
The stretch reflex, or deep tendon reflex, is a somatic reflex that keeps muscles at a certain length.

When a muscle starts to lengthen or stretch too much, this reflex triggers a muscle contraction to get the muscle back to its regular length. This reflex helps the body maintain posture against gravity.

There is some disagreement among expertsTrusted Source about whether the deep tendon reflex and stretch reflex are the same thing.

According to some experts, the deep tendon reflex occurs when a medical hammer actively stretches a muscle, such as when a doctor tests a person’s knee-jerk reaction. On the other hand, the stretch reflex occurs from movement and posture.

Whether or not the stretch and deep tendon reflexes are different, they both aim to keep a muscle at a certain length.

Inverse stretch reflex
The inverse stretch reflex stops the stretch reflex from causing a muscle contraction and instead helps a muscle relax.

It prevents damage by stopping the muscle from experiencing too much tension or force. For example, the inverse stretch reflex helps muscles relax during long stretches.

Withdrawal reflex
The withdrawal reflex helps protect the body from danger in the environment. Harmful or painful stimuli triggerTrusted Source certain receptors in the body, activating this reflex type.

Specifically, the receptors involved in this reaction activate neurons and pathways that cause muscle movement. For example, if someone’s hand touches a hot or sharp object, the withdrawal reflex quickly causes the hand to pull away.

The stronger a harmful stimulus is, the greater the body’s reaction.

Autonomic reflexes
Autonomic reflexes involve the autonomic nervous system and the body’s internal processes. People are not conscious of autonomic reflexes.

There are many types of specific autonomic reflexes. They respond to many different functions and challenges, such as:

eating food
illness
blood loss
stress
temperature changes
debris striking the eye
foul-smelling odors
Several types of neurons, fibers, and pathways can trigger different autonomic reflexes.

Like other reflexes, autonomic reflexes aim to help maintain homeostasis and protect the body.

Summary
Reflexes help the body maintain a constant environment, or homeostasis, and protect the body from harm or danger. They occur without thinking through reflex arcs or neural pathways in the body.

Somatic reflexes involve the muscles, skin, and responses to external stimuli. People are usually aware of somatic reflexes. Meanwhile, autonomic reflexes have to do with internal processes that people are unaware of. Several types exist, including the stretch or tendon, withdrawal, and inverse stretch reflexes.

Many types of autonomic reflexes work in complex ways. Autonomic reflexes deal with the body’s internal environment and respond to challenges and functions such as heat, cold, food intake, stress, and more.

10/22/2023

Types of birth control pills: Efficacy and risks

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Birth control pills are drugs that can stop ovulation and thicken the cervical mucus to prevent pregnany. Some may be suitable for people with health conditions, but they may also cause side effects or increase the risk of some cancers.

A quick look at the best places to get birth control pills online
Best for choice: Nurx | Skip to review
Best free trial: Wisp | Skip to review
Best for medical support: The Pill Club | Skip to review
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) note that over 65%Trusted Source of females in the United States made use of birth control between 2017-2019. 14% used contraceptive pills.

This article explores birth control pills and the different types. It also provides a list of online platforms where birth control pills are available.

Learn more about the birth control pill here.

What are birth control pills?
In the U.S., birth control pills are the most commonTrusted Source form of contraception.

A person takes one birth control pill daily, containing hormones preventing ovulation. They can also thicken cervical mucus to prevent s***m from reaching an egg.

Some pills, such as those containing levonorgestrel or ulipristal, can prevent pregnancy if a person takes them as soon as possible after having s*x without other forms of contraception. The sooner a person takes emergency contraception, the more effectiveTrusted Source it can be. Emergency contraceptive pills do not have any effect on an already established pregnancy.

Learn more about emergency contraception here.

Who is birth control good for?
Birth control pills are suitable for individuals having penetrative s*x that do not wish to become pregnant.

They may also suit people who:

need a reversible option, as they can conceive once they stop taking the pill.
wish to reduce acne breakouts and premenstrual syndrome (PMS) episodes
regulate their menstrual cycle
are looking for a convenient option, as the pills are small and easy to carry
Birth control pills may also be an option for those with a lower budget. Insurance providers may pay for part or all of the cost of contraceptives, and some organizations may provide free birth control.

Learn how to get free or low cost birth control here.

Combination pills
Combination pills are usually the first thingTrusted Source a doctor would consider prescribing to a person.

This pill contains both estrogen and progestin. Estrogen prevents the eggs from developing, and progestin prevents ovulation and helps thicken the cervical mucus.

Combination pills are either monophasic or multiphasic. Monophasic means that each active pill has the same dose of estrogen and progestin; multiphasic means that each hormone’s dose varies weekly.

There are several ways of taking combination pills:

Conventional dosing
There are two conventional ways of taking combination pills, depending on whether the brand contains placebo pills.

The pill without placebo pills will usually consist of 21-day packs. A person takes one pill for 21 days and then does not take any for the next seven days. People will often experience breakthrough bleeding during pill-free days.

28-day packs also contain placebo pills. People take one pill daily for 28 days and immediately start another 28-day pack on the 29th day. The last few pills in each 28-day pack are placebo pills.

Some brands offer 91-day packs. People will take 12 weeks of active pills, followed by one week of placebo pills, before resuming the next pack of active pills.

Learn more about placebo pills in birth control here.

Continuous dosing
Continuous dosingTrusted Source means only taking active pills with no break between packs.

While monophasic and multiphasic pills are suitable for continuous dosing, healthcare professionals are most likely to recommend monophasic ones.

The main side effect of this method is unwanted breakthrough bleeding.

Progestin-only pills
The progestin in these pills works by thickening the cervical wallTrusted Source, thinning the uterine lining, and stopping ovulation.

People take this pill once every day, without breaks, to protect from unintentional pregnancy. It is important to take it at the same time every day to ensure its effectiveness. If a person forgets or misses their next dose, they should use another method of contraception, such as condoms, for the next 48 hours.

Pros and cons of oral contraceptives
The following are some advantages and disadvantages of combination pills:

Pros
Some brands of combination pill have FDA approvalTrusted Source to treat acne.
These pills are suitableTrusted Source for people with polycystic o***y syndrome (PCOS) and period pains.
Combination pills are an easily reversible method of birth control, as a person can stop taking them at any time.
Taking oral contraceptives can lower the riskTrusted Source of endometrial and ovarian cancer.
People can continuously take the combination pill without breaks or choose packs with placebo pills.
Cons
Side effects includeTrusted Source breakthrough bleeding, nausea, abdominal cramping, breast tenderness, and loss of libido.
Oral contraceptives increaseTrusted Source the risk of breast and cervical cancer.
Missing or skipping pills reduces the effectiveness, leaving people at risk of unintentional pregnancy.
Combination pills are unsuitableTrusted Source for smokers over 35 years of age or people with hypertension, breast or endometrial cancer, ischemic heart disease, or migraine with auras.
Combination pills increase the riskTrusted Source of developing deep vein thrombosis (DVT).
They can increase a person’s risk of having deep vein thrombisis (DVT), a stroke, or a heart attack. This mostly affects those who are older than 35 years and smoke.
Doctors do not recommendTrusted Source them for the first three weeks after a person goes into labor, as the risk for venous thromboembolism may increase.
They can increase people’s risk of developing blood clots if they have obesity.
They are effective when taking them at the same time every day. Individuals who miss four pills may have an increased chance of getting pregnant.

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